Posts filed under ‘second coming’

Christians today need to grasp the big picture, the one from God’s perspective. Instead, we are often too concerned about saving America. Our job is the Great Commission, in which Jesus tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. He never tells us to save a specific country. He is concerned about lost souls and so should we be. The problem is that all too often (and we can all fall prey to this, including this author), we become embroiled in the political scene because we think that if good men “do nothing,” disaster is the result. We need to choose carefully what it is we are “to do,” because we cannot be both evangelists to the lost and politically involved to save America.

Paul could not possibly list everything that would try but fail to remove us from His presence, so he provides an overview for us. Simply because he does not include our “free will,” does not mean to imply that it is the exception to anything. It is actually included in Paul’s words – though not specifically stated – with the words “nor anything else in all creation.” Is free will part of God’s Creation? Of course it is and Paul could have simply said for these two verses “Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” but chose to give some examples to elaborate on his meaning. In doing so, some people mistake Paul’s words thinking that what he specifically did not include, is the very thing that can remove us. Unfortunately, this line of thinking completely changes Paul’s intended meaning. Reading the entirety of Romans gives us the full picture.

This “thief in the night” description references people who are not prepared. Like the person who runs an errand and they leave their home wide open. They return to find their home has been robbed. They were not expecting it and took no precautions. They did not even consider the fact that a thief might decide to rob their home. Never crossed their mind. This is the unsaved person who has no thought of God, much less of His impending return to the planet He owns. They go about their daily lives and when Jesus returns, they will be profoundly shocked because it is something they did not ever believe could or would happen. In fact, they likely joked about it often.

The “day of the Lord” (DOTL) represents a time of judgment and that is very clear even from the few verses we have touched on in this series. What is not necessarily as clear is how long a period of time is represented by the DOTL and when it is supposed to occur. We’re going to look at a few more Scripture references to see if we can shed more light on the subject. Eventually, we want to cover all the Scripture that deals with anything to do with the DOTL.

Satan must gather all of his resources and put them in one basket so that when the day comes to prove that he will become like the Most High, he will not prevail. In fact, it will take one world from the returning Lord Jesus to vanquish him and there will be not one thing that Satan can do about it.

Satan is a defeated foe (from the cross), yet he continues to maneuver global society toward the day when he will have absolute control. He will use that to try to overcome God Almighty. This is the epitome of ego. Satan so loves himself that he takes everything he can in order to attempt to overcome the God who so loves us that He GAVE so that we might live.

Satan offers nothing but misery and an eternal death, separated from God forever. But that is really beside the point for Satan. His one goal, his mania, everything he is about and strives for is to become like the Most High so that he will be able to overcome God Himself.

The problem of course is that, while some choose to believe that Paul’s reference to the “man of sin” is a metaphor that refers to the Christian and the fact that our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, this stretches the credulity of the text itself. They believe that the “man of sin” is an appellation for the spiritual man created by the Holy Spirit. They do not see Paul’s words as being literal, but merely figurative. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the text that supports this. Paul seems to be clearly pointing ahead to a time still in front of us when a man will walk onto the scene and will surrender himself to Satan. Satan will then give him his authority and enabling (supernaturally). This man will be known as the Antichrist, or “man of sin.” Paul’s use of the singular here is very important. He is speaking of ONE specific individual.

The first part of the above text promises that the “day of the LORD upon all nations is near.” Clearly, this is a reference to God’s final, work of judgment when He will pour out His wrath upon all nations and will finalize these judgments in the Sheep and the Goats judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), just prior to the start of the Millennial Reign of Jesus, physically on earth.

It is also noteworthy to learn that God says in Obadiah 1:17 that the house of Jacob will possess the Land (including Edom) and this points to the future. In fact, Obadiah 1:15-21 speaks clearly of the results of the coming “day of the Lord,” the judgments that will occur and the rewards that will be given. It is clearly futuristic because this portion of Scripture has not yet been fulfilled.